Rumor Has It
by Counting.Freckles
Summary: The year is 2024 and the Next Generation of witches and wizards faces the uprising of a powerful wizard with power reminiscient of that Lord Voldemort held. As Theodore Nott ascends with his Sinister Army, three young witches are forced to seek the truth.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Characters related to the _Harry Potter_ series belong specifically to J.K. Rowling. It is not our intention to plagiarize or slander her work in any given way. A number of the characters, most that you will recognize immediately, belong solely to her. However, there are a great number of Original Characters in this story that will remain our property until our dying day. This story, its plot and its whimsical characters, are the property of Sammy and Tammy, LifeBringsMeOnlyTears and Pretending.To.Be.Civil, respectfully.

**_Rumor Has It:_** The lives of three young witches converges in this tale of glory, deceit, romance, and tragedy. This coming of age tale depicts the _Next Generation_ of witches and wizards descended from those introduced throughout the _Harry Potter_ series. The year is 2024 and while peace and prosperity has reigned over the wizarding world since the fall of the Dark Lord Voldemort. But, a new threat emerges and brings with it a sense of irrevocable segregration between those in favor of change and those in opposition. Three young witches are thrust in the midst of the rising battle; one as a warrior, one as a medic, and one as a maiden of peace. What will become of these three young witches that know each other only as close friends once the _rumors_ reflect the horrible _truth_?

* * *

**_-Rumor Has It-_**

**CHAPTER ONE**

"You don't suppose he?" Mackenzie's large, gray eyes widened as her back became rigid against the tree she was leaning on. Her eyes flickered briefly with the same horror most of the wizarding world was internally afflicted with.

Mackenzie was lost inside her own mind, the brain hidden behind the forehead of her heart-shaped face was quickly processing what must have, but couldn't have occurred. It was her full lips that she so commonly tried to thin to escape her own thoughts about her appearance resembling that of a fish's that betrayed her. They seemed to sulk as they were pulled into a prominent frown. Which told everyone around Mackenzie that she was plagued with troubles.

"Well, there's nothing _wrong_ with it. He can't possibly be in trouble for that sort of thing... I reckon' it's not illegal or anything," Avery explained. She used hand gestures to get her message across as she spoke.

Avery's eyes were small and a vibrant shade of dark green that seemed to strike one's face when they were connected. She jerked her head in an abrupt motion that sent her short, brown hair away from her eyes.

Rahne quickly captured Avery and Mackenzie's attention when she addressed the topic.

"I think," Rahne paused. Her eyelids momentarily hid her brown eyes, but after a thoughtful sigh Rahne's eyes reappeared.

When someone looked at Rahne, Mackenzie and Avery could have sworn they did not sense, or even recognize the presence of a face. Just her heavily lidded eyes that stared at everything at once. They emitted comfort. It was as if they were a person within themselves that simply understood and accepted everything.

But there was a face behind Rahne's eyes. Her eyebrows were placed in a rather pleasant arch, and between them stood the bridge of her nose that consisted of a subtle bump. Rahne's eyes were set farther apart than most people's, and if one could look past her nose they would notice a reoccurring dimple on her left cheek that appeared when she chuckled or smirked.

"I think it must have had something to do with it, although the bugger did get himself into a spot of trouble before. From what I understand the kid he attacked is still in the Hospital Wing," Rahne informed Mackenzie and Avery from her seat on top of the grass. She sat to Mackenzie's left.

"Bollocks, he didn't do anything wrong by simply having one, but I suppose what he did to that boy was something awful," Avery thought aloud. She sat with her legs pressed against her torso with her arms lazily wrapped around them.

"Something awful, eh? I think everyone with one of those should be thrown into Azkaban," Mackenzie spat. She peered over at the Hogwart's Castle and then looked directly at Avery who was sitting at Rahne's left. "There have been rumors that it's the mark of a new Dark Lord, and it's simply undeniable."

"Blimey, that's stupid. Just because he likes his supporters to mark themselves to show their support doesn't mean he's the next Dark Lord. Besides, it looks nothing like the Dark Mark! Isn't it a dragon, or something?" Avery's hands moved in response to her words as she spoke.

"A dragon curled up with a pile of bones," Rahne added. "You were the one who told me, Avery."

"Yes, yes, I remember now." Avery uncomfortably shifted in her seat and watched as Mackenzie's eyes remained focused on her. Avery knew Mackenzie was looking through her and not at her because her eyes were glossed over, entranced in thought.

"Last I heard of Theodore Nott he was trying to become the Minister of Magic," Rahne announced. "He's gone mad if he thinks he'll get the position."

"Yeah, I doubt they'll let someone who openly speaks of terminating muggles to join the ministry, but who knows for sure? It's not like the ministry hasn't been corrupt before," Mackenzie's stern tone made it evident that she was concerned.

"Nott isn't all bad. If he was so bad...he wouldn't have supporters," Avery commented while staring at her feet.

"Voldemort had supporters." A minute of silence followed Mackenzie's frank statement.

"Isn't he threatening to run for Prime Minister as a muggle?" Rahne asked. "Huh, I wonder if there is an investigation of his intentions. In any case I have quidditch practice soon."

"Ah, how is Nimbus?" Mackenzie teased. Avery and Mackenzie sprouted grins as Rahne's face tinged pink.

"Captain Wood is fine," Rahne snapped defensively.

"I'm sure you'd think he is," Avery badgered Rahne. The three of them laughed when Mackenzie attempted to wiggle her eyebrows suggestively.

"Oi! I should be leaving soon, too," Avery recalled, but when she peered down at her watch she groaned.

"What's wrong?" Rahne questioned Avery while she stood up and brushed the grass off of her clothes with her hands.

"I'm late -- again," Avery grumbled as she lifted her book bag off of the ground. "He's going to kill me."

Before they had a chance to ask who, Avery had gathered her belongings. "Bye you guys, take care! See you tomorrow!" she yelled as she ran toward the castle.

Rahne laughed as she watched Avery's Slytherin robes trail behind her. "She's been spending an awful amount of time with that Malfoy boy," Rahne noted knowingly.

"You don't think?" Mackenzie gazed up at the sky thoughtfully.

"Nah, she can't stand him. You should hear the way she talks about him," Rahne reassured Mackenzie. "She hates him."

"Like you hate Nimbus?" Mackenzie winked.

"Gah, what the hell is that supposed to mean, Ramsey?" Rahne scowled and lightly slapped the back of Mackenzie's head.

"Ow! Jeez you're defensive!" They both stood, knowing it was time they left.

"I'm off to practice, are you coming?" Rahne asked.

"No... Nimbus," Mackenzie smirked as Rahne glared at her. "I mean...Captain Wood wouldn't want some Ravenclaw at his practice anyways."

"So? You can come if you want. If he says anything I'll put him in his place!" Rahne beamed confidently. Mackenzie declined once again, and the two left their spot by the tree.

--

Avery ran across the corridors and up the stairs, she couldn't prevent herself from bumping into other students as she passed.

"Whoa! Are you alright?" Avery came to a full stop when she almost knocked her Herbology teacher onto the ground.

"I've been better, Professor Longbottom," Avery grumbled as she crouched down and retrieved the books she had caused Neville Longbottom to drop. He smiled sympathetically as she handed his books back to him.

"Ah, well I hope you feel better," Professor Longbottom stated in the kindest of manners.

_Me too_, Avery thought to herself as she thanked him. When Professor Longbottom turned his back and continued to stroll down the hallway, Avery broke into a sprint.

--

"Hey," Rahne greeted Lily as they changed into their quidditch outfits.

"Oi, Rahne," Lily Potter paused as she placed her long, red hair in a ponytail. "How are you?"

"Great...you?" Rahne pushed her Gryffindor robe to the back of her locker. She didn't wear it to practice because she felt it just got in her way.

"Could be better. Hey, why didn't you show up to practice the other day?" Lily asked as she tied her shoes. Rahne looked around. The changing room was dark. A set of rectangular windows was the only source of light, and they were too small to provide the entire room with light. They existed at the top of the changing room's cement walls.

"Rahne?"

"Oh, you know...homework and stuff," Rahne explained, shrugging apathetically. Lily and Rahne both retrieved their brooms and started walking towards the quidditch pitch.

A boy with black hair and a complexion similar to caramel -- perhaps a bit darker -- waved his hand in the air as he ran toward Lily and Rahne. He quickly caught up with them and they exchanged greetings.

"Ay, Rahne, why didn't you come to practice?" Fred Weasley shoved his black hair away from his blue eyes.

"Erm...stuff?" Rahne responded, only slightly annoyed by being asked the same question. "Why? Did I miss something important?"

"Nah, Nimbus was just an arse about it." Fred smiled as Lily and Rahne laughed.

"And can anyone tell me why we lost to Slytherin last week?" Nimbus looked around at the expressions belonging to his team as Fred, Lily and Rahne joined the group.

"Because you're a controlling, bloody git?" Rahne muttered and felt Lily's elbow momentarily collide with her arm. Nimbus appeared to have heard Rahne and stared at her for a few seconds.

"I'm no expert, ya' know, being a bloody git and all, but I'm guessing that it has something to do with players who don't show up for practice," Nimbus snapped, leaning his weight on his broom that he was holding with his right hand.

Nimbus consisted of a burly body and was rather tall. His facial structure was shapely, but his face was overall plain and easily forgotten.

"That's stupid," Rahne protested and rolled her eyes.

"So I decided there should be a punishment for those who skip practice."

"You can't-"

"Rahne, you have to run three laps around the pitch," Nimbus announced and was clearly smug as he interrupted Rahne.

"That's not fair-"

"My team, my rules. Unless you don't want to be a part of my team." Rahne sighed, defeated.

_I should be captain_, Rahne inwardly acknowledged as she threw her broom at Nimbus's legs and started running.

--

"How did you get this job again?" Mackenzie asked her Charms professor, who sat in the chair behind his desk. He laughed, his jaw slightly pulled down.

"I have this nagging feeling that it has something to do with having been in Ravenclaw... Either that, or I just have skills," he explained humorously. His Australian accent wouldn't have been noticeable if Mackenzie hadn't known him in his teenage years. He stood up and Mackenzie realized how tall he had become. He lacked the appearance of someone who possessed strength and had a rather favorable-looking face. His eyes were the main attraction. They were both blue and green with a shade of gold outlining them.

"Hrm...I suppose I will have to call you Professor Ackart now?" Mackenzie couldn't imagine the students who had gone to school with him showing him the least bit of respect as a teacher.

"No...well, yes -- in class, but it's going to make me feel terribly old, so out of class you will have to call me Trenton as much as possible. To reverse the damage. I will probably have to call you Miss Ramsey?" Trenton walked towards the middle of his classroom and looked around at the wooden desks, the large windows where sunlight trickled in and made everything in the room visible, and he frowned. "Positively terrifying."

--

Avery arrived at the dungeon and stopped in front of an oak door that was seemingly ordinary, but everything in Hogwarts Castle lacked normalcy. She knew that an irascible dragon existed behind it. The creature behind it was fuming over her excessive tardiness and complacent attitude.

Avery did not want to open the door, but as she recalled her lack of options, her hand acted on its own accord and the door gradually opened. She took a step forward and paused while she scanned the room for signs of danger.

The creature's gray eyes narrowed in response to Avery's entrance, but he continued to stare at the book lying on the desk he was sitting at. Avery stepped inside the classroom. The irascible dragon made a small hand gesture and the oak door behind Avery abruptly shut and frightened her. A chill momentarily trickled down her spine.

"You are late," he muttered as he placed a bookmark inside his reading material. "Again," he commented and shut the book.

"Yeah…about that," Avery wrung her hands apprehensively, "I was thinking that we could…adjust the time we meet," she smiled as if it would affect his decision.

"Absolutely not," he commented wryly and placed his book bag on top of the desk he was sitting at. He opened it and pulled out a spell book. "The whole point is to discipline you. You obviously need it."

"Eh? I did not join a bloody etiquette class, Malfoy. Or Scorpius, whichever ridiculous name you prefer," Avery snapped. Clearly she was frustrated with his apathetic manner.

"Learning is discipline, you feeble-minded girl," Scorpius snorted in a self-aggrandizing way as he pulled out his wand. Avery rolled her eyes and Scorpius lifted his hand, "Levicorpus!"

--

"Done!" Rahne shouted as she finished her third lap across the quidditch pitch. She was winded and she could feel the sweat on her forehead as the cool breeze dried it. Fred grinned and flew down towards Rahne, but was instantly ordered to go back and join the rest of his team that was practicing. Fred stared at Captain Wood as he spoke, but it was evident Fred wasn't listening.

"Oy, you asked about any new products coming into the store lately? Remember, a couple of days ago?" Rahne laughed as Fred hovered on his broom beside her.

"Fred!" Nimbus bellowed from above their heads, once again hoping to reprimand Fred Weasley. Fred continued to ignore Nimbus as he pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Rahne.

"It's an order form, including all new releases from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. If you see anything you like --"

"I know how it works," Rahne rolled her eyes as she tucked it into her pocket. "Thanks, Fred." Nimbus started to fly down towards them.

"No problem," Fred smiled before flying back up.

"I never thought I'd say this, but don't pass notes during quidditch practice!" Nimbus barked as he dismounted his broom.

"It wasn't a note," Rahne replied as she started walking over to her broom, which was lying on the grass. Nimbus followed her.

"I saw it. You know what? It doesn't even matter. Get your broom and --"

"Get your arse in the air," Rahne finished his sentence as she picked up her broom. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before."

"I am your captain," Nimbus stated, feeling the need to remind her.

"Not much of one, but yes, yes you are," Rahne smirked and got on her broom. Peering over her shoulder she looked at Nimbus and frowned, "I should have been captain." Nimbus scowled as Rahne pushed her feet against the ground and flew towards her teammates.

--

"Terrifying?" Mackenzie inquired. She felt as if she had missed something. Trenton turned around and faced her. "Didn't you want to be a professor?"

"Sometimes, well generally...yes. I did, but it is different now that I am," Trenton tried to explain, and Mackenzie nodded her head knowingly, although she didn't know what he was talking about. "I guess I am just nervous... You know, Theodore Nott is going to eventually come to power and I feel like... I should be doing something," he paused for a second and looked around the room before walking over to the chair behind his desk and sitting in it. "I mean...didn't you hear about that kid?"

"The one who was suspended?" Mackenzie asked. She noticed that his face was etched with mortification.

"Yeah, but do you know why?" Trenton rested his feet on top of his desk and placed his hands behind his head.

"Vaguely, although it was quite obvious he harmed another student, and if I recall correctly he possessed the mark of the SA," Mackenzie told Trenton everything she knew.

"He used the Cruciatus Curse on his classmate," Trenton stated bluntly. "What do you know about the Cruciatus Curse, Mackenzie?"

"T-that it is an unforgiveable and causes unimaginable pain," Mackenzie answered, feeling awkward. Trenton appeared to be thinking about what Mackenzie had said.

"Yes, but do you know what it takes to perform an unforgiveable?" Trenton stared at a bewildered Mackenzie. Her gray eyes were focused on him.

"A wand?" Trenton chuckled and Mackenzie felt incredibly stupid.

"In order to perform an unforgiveable curse you have to feel it. In this case a young boy was capable of feeling so much hatred and rage that he had the ability to harm another human being!"

"Yes, but I thought it was his age that worried everyone."

"It is, of course. It is because... Well, how many fifth years do you know that can manage an unforgiveable?" Mackenzie shrugged. "None that I had known of, which means someone is teaching them."

"But why would he want a bunch of children fighting for him?"

"I reckon' there's a good reason for it. Whether we know what it is or not. The important question right now is who is teaching them?"

"Could it be a professor at this school? Maybe it's their parents?"

"All of the staff members have been questioned. As for the boy involved, we checked his background information. His mother works at St. Mungos as a healer... She's rarely home."

"His father?"

"Dead."

"Well then...who does that leave? I doubt Nott teaches them himself!" Mackenzie was impressed with Trenton's knowledge of the situation.

"Or perhaps...they teach each other?" Trenton announced while Mackenzie laughed.

"That's rubbish! Students teaching each other how to kill one another!" Mackenzie's laughter ceased as she realized he wasn't trying to be funny.

"Rubbish or genius?"

--

Avery's ankle was suspended in the air and her body hung upside down.

"It's like magic!" Avery shouted cynically as she peered down at the floor. If she were to extend her arm she could touch the floor, but it wouldn't have improved her situation, and she was aware that if she were to reach for her wand he would surely take it from her so she didn't.

Scorpius stood up and strolled over to where Avery was hanging.

"You are surprisingly observant today," Scorpius cackled in front of Avery's face. "If you can behave like a young lady today…perhaps I will not leave you there for the entire lesson."

"Your face is so pale. It confirms my suspicions," Avery squinted and grinned while she playfully rubbed her chin. She could feel her blood rushing towards her brain.

Scorpius knew that a sarcastic remark was to come. After four lessons Avery had failed to be on time, but she always managed to be cheeky with him.

"I am **not** amused," Scorpius stated gravely, but this only caused her grin to become broader. Scorpius frowned.

"I always knew your arse and your face had something in common, but I wasn't entirely sure what it was," Avery explained. Of course she was scared what his reaction might be, but she merely considered it a part of the fun. Scorpius sighed and walked over to the desk he had been sitting at. His hands were clasped behind his back.

"Are you quite done?" Scorpius asked as he picked up the spell book he had taken from his book bag earlier. He rested it on the palm of his hand as he lazily flipped through the pages with his other hand.

"You are so snooty, I cannot imagine how much that stick up your arse hurts," Avery remarked smugly.

"Not as much as it would if I stuck it down your bloody throat," Scorpius mumbled scathingly. "Control yourself and pay attention," Scorpius reprimanded her as she rolled her eyes. "Your father sent me a letter today. He wanted to know about your progress."

"He sent me a letter as well. Daddy Dearest was interested in knowing whether or not you were a competent tutor," Avery continued talking after Scorpius glanced over at her, "I told him that you are fantastic."

Scorpius snorted, "And why is that?" he inquired as he continued to look through the spell book.

"Because the other tutors couldn't have possibly been half as entertaining as you," Avery smirked. Scorpius winced.

"Liberacorpus," Scorpius casted the counter-jinx to levicorpus and Avery groaned when her body came into contact with the cement floor.

"Ouch." Avery stood up and dusted herself off. "I suppose I have suffered worse injuries from falling out of trees."

"What were you doing in a tree?" Scorpius asked as he pointed to a seat in the front row.

"Climbing it, of course," Avery stated coolly as she sat down in the seat beside the one Scorpius had instructed her to sit at.

"Climbing…a tree? Why would someone do something like that?" Scorpius raised his eyebrows and set the book down on top of Avery's desk.

"Because it is fun?" Avery laughed, but when she noticed Scorpius's expression she stopped. He was looking at her as if she were insane. "Ah, I forgot, your dad simply buys you fun."

"Did your father buy the tree?" Scorpius shook his head and pointed to the book. "Read."

Avery managed to bite back another remark as she glanced down at the book that Scorpius insisted she read. Her green eyes scanned over the page's content quickly and she found herself rolling her eyes.

"Don't you think this spell is a bit elementary?" Avery sighed, "Even for your tastes, Malfoy."

"This spell, while somewhat basic, could come in handy, Clough. It's just one of the many we are going to be practicing over the next few weeks." Scorpius tapped his index finger against the page, encouraging her to read.

"Mobilicorpus," she muttered under her breath as she used her index finger to trail the words as she read them aloud "is the basic spell that allows one to move another's body."

"Well, we've just discovered that you are indeed able to read, Clough."

Avery merely continued to stare at the short passage, thinking back to a time when she'd witnessed her father using this particular spell in order to remove a stranger from their property after he'd been thoroughly stunned. She knew the basics of it, but had rarely had the chance to practice it.

"Well, that's that then, eh, Malfoy? Do I get to practice on you?" When she turned and glanced over at Scorpius, he was far from smiling at her snide remark. In fact, he was eyeing her coldly and seemed to expect her to know his response.

"What? Do you expect me to wrangle up a first year?" Scorpius scoffed. "I think that perhaps I should demonstrate the proper way to use this spell, Clough. Unless, of course, you think that you are above being taught something so mundane."

Avery couldn't restrain her eyes from expressing her annoyance once again. Eye rolling seemed to be a casualty when she was around Scorpius.

"No, I think that you have had enough practice on me today, Malfoy," Avery commented dryly as she pulled out her wand in a somewhat eager fashion. Scorpius muttered under his breath, but Avery ignored him. He did not seem the least bit nervous, but Avery knew he must have been. Scorpius did not strike her as the type who enjoyed having someone else in control – especially of his body. She watched as Scorpius lay down on the cold, cement floor. "Mobilicorpus!" Avery shouted and Scorpius hovered an inch above the ground. She released the spell, and he landed back on the floor.

Scorpius laughed, "You should have held it longer and perhaps could have managed an inch and a half!" Avery grumbled sullenly.

"You aren't going to cry, are you?" Scorpius asked as he took out his wand.

Never one to bat a lash, Avery turned away for a moment as if she were reading over the passage again. There was simply no need for Malfoy to know that she was slightly embarrassed by the fact that she could not properly execute the spell. But, when she turned back, Scorpius was sitting up with his hands resting on his outstretched legs.

"I am just rusty," Avery replied as she twirled her wand in her hand. "Let's have another go."

"I think not," Scorpius replied huffily as he clambered to his feet and dusted the back of his robes off. "I believe it is time for me to show you how it is done." Before Avery could retort, Scorpius was swishing his wand and clearly muttering the spell. Since she was not lying down upon the ground, she was thrown backwards as if she were pushed over by some sort of unseen force.

"Oy! Bloody hell, Malfoy!" Avery let out a muffled squeak as she felt her hair brush against her face from the force of the descent. Needless to say, she was relieved when she didn't bash her head against the concrete floor. In fact, when she turned her head, she realized that she was hovering nearly a foot off of the ground.

"You see, Clough that is how one executes the spell." Then, without any warning, her body was floating toward him and then back, as if she were on some sort of strange conveyer belt. Her first instinct was to laugh, which only seemed to anger her tutor. As moments later, she found herself slapping against the floor rather painfully.

"What is your problem, Malfoy!" she shouted as she aggressively stood, not bothering to brush herself off, she pulled out her wand. "Mobilicorpus!" Scorpius was forced backward in the same manner she had been, and was lifted to the ceiling. She shook her head angrily as she watched Scorpius drop halfway down towards the floor. As Scorpius attempted to reach for his wand he was thrown upwards and his wand slipped from his hands. "What would my father think if I were to tell him that the only thing I gain from you is bruises?" Avery dropped him again, this time he hovered only inches above the floor. She did not care what he was going to do next. She just hated being thrown around like a rag doll constantly by him.

"Stop this foolishness now!" Scorpius bellowed. Avery hoped he had been smart enough to use muffiliato on the room, so no one could possibly hear the commotion inside, but Malfoy never ceased to surprise her. She let him drop to the floor with a thud, being sure to turn him over before doing so. She watched as he slowly crawled to his feet, half-wondering if she wanted to hear the muttered words that seemed to be coming from his direction as he stood upright. Avery stood there defiantly, a proud smirk etched across her lips, as Scorpius Malfoy turned and met her gaze.

"I believe you just failed that lesson, Clough." Stunned, Avery glared at him as he righted his robes and managed to look as impeccable as ever.

"How exactly did I fail, Malfoy?" she demanded, half-tempted to see if she could use the spell and slap that large head of his against the ceiling. "I executed it perfectly."

"No, you did not."

"Then what in the bloody hell were we doing? Practicing levitation?" His gray eyes narrowed as he walked toward her calmly, his wand grasped lightly in his hand. When he was directly in front of her, he stopped and stared down at her. Avery was slightly taken aback, but merely glared up at him, waiting for an answer.

"First of all, Clough, the spell is not meant to levitate a person that high into the air. You could have caused serious damage to a fallen comrade if you were to slap them against the ceiling as you so very nearly did to me."

"But I did not. Therefore I did it correctly," Avery lifted an eyebrow.

Malfoy released a distinguished sigh and lifted his wand into her eyesight. "Clough, it was poorly executed. It's obvious that it was the first time you have ever managed to do the spell at all."

"You are full of yourself, Malfoy! Just because you cannot levitate doesn't mean that it is my fault. I was merely lending a hand!"

Gray eyes seemed to narrow in confusion for a split second, before they narrowed yet again with malice. "This is not a joking matter. The spell is on the list of items that you must be familiar with."

"Fine, blah, blah, blah, Malfoy, you are just mad because you cannot fly without a broom." Then, Avery decided the joke was dead and lifted her wand and spun it between her fingers. "Then what did I do wrong, oh high and mighty levitator man?"

"It's quite evident that you are already a walking disaster, and that you are unwilling to learn how to do anything properly, or orderly," Scorpius scowled. "In fact, I have yet to see you follow a single instruction correctly."

"Then what are we doing here?" Avery folded her arms across her chest defiantly.

"By the end of this year, you will be one of the best bloody SA members, Imperius Curse or not. It's really up to you," Scorpius's voice resembled that of a low growl. He pushed the tip of his wand into her forehead. Avery continued to glower directly into his eyes.

"I am already the best SA member there is," Avery explained her countenance expressed that she believed this to be absolute truth.

"If put in a cage amongst the others, you would be begging for me to save you, Clough," Scorpius protested as the end of his wand dug deeper into her forehead. Avery laughed.

"The greatest wizard alive raised me, Scorpius. There's little you could do to up-end him," Avery smirked. Scorpius, never one to lose his cool, actually snorted as he jabbed her with the tip of his wand.

"You compare me to your father, Clough? I'm not sure whether or not to be insulted or complimented."

"In your case it would be a compliment, as you could do little more than kiss the ground at his feet, Malfoy."

Scorpius's eyes narrowed and he jabbed her yet again, causing Avery to actually wonder if he would leave a mark. "Do you intend to hide behind your father forever? I suppose father dearest would be glad to shield you from all the darkness."

"My father IS the dark side, Malfoy," Avery scoffed as she lifted her hand and grabbed the wrist, which was connected to the hand that held his wand. "And your father would be nothing without him."

"My father is nothing without him?" Scorpius still towered over Avery. "Coming from someone with a stature such as yours says nothing. I doubt you could perform a decent unforgiveable!"

"Want to find out?" Avery uncrossed her arms and reached into her pocket, her fingers were loosely wrapped across her wand.

"If your father is so great why isn't he the one HERE teaching you?" Scorpius emphasized, and Avery's left hand was still wrapped around his wrist. Avery was silent. "That's right, Clough. Where is the greatest wizard who lived when you need to be taught?" Scorpius smirked, and it was so subtle, so cruel, that she could feel his smug sense of superiority.

"Serving Theodore Nott and performing unforgiveables that are the epitome of perfection while your father watches him from afar, gaping at my father's evident supremacy," Avery did not hide the disgust, the hatred that leaked from every word she spoke.

"Your father--"

"Don't bother responding, Malfoy. We both know that you are just as frightened of my Daddy Dearest as your father is," Avery spat as she pushed his arm away from her with all the strength she could muster.

--

Nimbus touched down on the grass lightly as the rest of the Gryffindor team seemed to gather instantly, as if expecting the boy to drone on per usual. Instead, he merely stared at Rahne as she hovered in mid-air, her arms crossed.

"It seems that there's been a bit of a misunderstanding. As your captain, I feel as though we should be up front with each other, aye. So, who here feels that I shouldn't be captain?" No movements were made with the exception of Rahne's hand rising into the air instantly. Her eyes were locked upon Nimbus' form and were daring him to call on her, but he merely looked around the semi-circle of quidditch players before shaking his head. "Rahne appears to be challenging me, and I'm not one who backs down from a challenge." He paused before glancing toward Fred and then at Lily. "In response, I've decided that a change of pace is in order."

"So you are going to resign then?" Rahne called out, a smug smile crossing her features.

"On the contrary, we are going to have a sort of practice run. The team will be split into two. Rahne will be captain of one team while I lead the other to victory. The winner will, of course, be the team's reigning captain." Lilly glanced over at Rahne but Rahne merely grinned.

"If it's a challenge you want, then it's a challenge you'll get." Rahne glanced around at her teammates and was already picturing how to split them up, but it seemed that even in that, Wood would have his way.

"Fred and Hugo come here," Nimbus ordered them, but Rahne protested.

"So you're going to accept a challenge...under the circumstances that everything abides by your wants?"

"You've made it reasonably clear that you think you are invincible, so I figure you'll be fine with whatever you get," Nimbus stated, well aware that Albert and Lily were the least gifted in the bunch, considering the two were new and there hadn't been enough time to train them properly.

"You're serious?" Rahne had to keep her comments to herself about Lily and Albert's inept skills because she feared it would affect her teammates overall performance.

"About the match? Yes I am," Nimbus shrugged. "If you don't want to do this, you don't have to," Nimbus smiled competently, "You can always back down." Rahne stared at the ground, and took her situation into consideration. She was tired from running and obviously at a disadvantage, and there was simply no way she could possibly win. But wasn't backing down just as bad as losing? She had to at least try.

"This isn't a fair match," Rahne glared at Nimbus' face loathingly. "You know it isn't."

"How isn't it fair?" Nimbus' pretended to be curious.

"You are obviously threatened by me," Rahne noted as she eyed the rest of her team.

"Threatened? Prove it, which is exactly what I am giving you the chance to do," Nimbus stated haughtily.

"I'm going to kick your ass, Nimbus, whether it is in this match or outside of it," Rahne sneered.

"Sure you are, Five-foot-nothing. I could throw you off your broom if I wanted to, so I don't think knocking you off of your pedestal will be problematic," Nimbus laughed and his chest heaved up and down -- mocking Rahne.

Rahne surprised Nimbus as she laughed along with him. "Silly male, you live in the Wizarding World, and in the Wizarding World it does not matter if you can knock me off of my broom, as long as I can jinx you off of yours," Rahne smiled. "My broom is my pedestal."

Nimbus' laughter suddenly ceased, and he did not find the situation nearly has humorous as he had before. Rahne continued to smile while the rest of her teammates suppressed their contagious fit of giggles.

"I think we both know who is going to win this match, Paine," Nimbus stated scathingly.

"Yes, well I think we are also aware of how carefully you've crafted the outcome. What I do not think that you are aware of is that while playing quidditch, you cannot win if you are cheating. No matter what the scoreboard says," Rahne sighed. "You'd be better off if you listened to your father more often."

"Unless you are a part of the Slytherin team, of course," Fred contributed to the conversation joyously.

Rahne nodded her head in agreement and glanced at Nimbus' face. "It is also impossible for a team to have lost if they have tried their hardest," Rahne concluded with a thoughtful expression, as Nimbus resembled a child who had been reprimanded.

"Yes, well I suppose that's only a matter of opinion," Nimbus did his best to recover from the comments as he lifted his broom a bit higher into the air. "But, as you all well know, there is only one winner and one loser."

"Let's just say that I predict you to be the latter, Wood." Smirking, Rahne glanced over at the two that would join her in the match. She offered them the warmest smile that she could muster before she gripped the handle of her broom tightly. It would be a close match only if they were at the top of their game. "Come on, let's have us some fun."

"Make sure you don't fall off your broom, Paine. After all, we don't have time to clean up any of your messes. Causing one loss is enough." Nimbus, of course, had to try to get the last word in. "Ready then?"

"Wood, I was born ready." Rahne gritted her teeth as one of Gryffindor's many admirers, some Creavy gal, released the practice balls into the air. There would be no need for a snitch, as they would go on points made alone, which meant that Wood had a time limit in mind. "How long we got?" she questioned.

"Make it an hour, Paine," Nimbus announced as he lifted higher into the air, his team members trailing after him.

--

The two were both completely silent for a full minute as Avery did her best to avoid the boy's eyes. Neither, it seemed, knew what to say after Avery's little outburst. In fact, Avery found herself glancing toward the door longingly, wondering if it would be enough of a reason for Malfoy to suddenly dismiss her.

"Clough, if your father found himself in my path, I would not hesitate to do what was necessary."

Avery tipped her head to the side as she considered his words carefully. "Are you threatening my father, Malfoy? You didn't hear me saying that I would do something horrid to your father! I merely said that--"

"I know exactly what you said, Clough, and you can take my words however you want. The fact is simple enough. We both know why Nott keeps your father around."

"Because he is smart, otherwise, why would he have so many followers?"

Scorpius narrowed his eyes as he lifted his wand slightly, as if testing its weight. "Your father has a lot of pull around both the older and younger generation, Clough. If it weren't for him, Nott wouldn't have a lot of the support that he has now."

"Well, we both know your father's there for looks, Malfoy," Avery snapped, green eyes blazing. "After all, there's little else he's good for, unless it's contributing some galleons to the cause."

"Why you little twit." Malfoy seemed to lose a great deal of his cool as he lifted his wand and his lips moved. Unfortunately, Avery had no idea what spell he chose to use. While she saw the move coming, she had no time to prepare for it before thick ropes appeared out of thin air and wrapped themselves around her arms and legs, holding her in place.

"Perhaps I struck a nerve?" Avery asked as if she were thinking aloud. "I suppose when I think about it," Avery laughed, "He contributed you. He always struck me as the kind willing to pawn his own son off in hopes it would pay off."

"It was my CHOICE!" Scorpius screamed. He seemed to have been broken by Avery's words, but she was too naïve to realize that she hadn't simply struck a nerve, but was now playing upon Scorpius's very own insecurities, although, even if she was aware of it, it's questionable whether or not it would have changed anything.

"You cannot possibly think that your father isn't hoping for some sort of profit?" Avery cackled. "For Merlin's sake, he's a MALFOY! Tch, although I have to say, Narcissa is a rather influential woman… It's the women in your family that make it what it is, but don't mistake your mother as one," Avery paused and noticed his bright, scarlet face. "She's a joke, to put it quite frankly."

"And if my father were to hear of THIS?" Scorpius inquired, understandably enraged.

"Who hasn't told him?" Avery grinned.

"Your mother is a --"

"Oh, don't bother," Avery couldn't stop her lips from curling. "Your mother is a gold digger who was young and pretty. Your father wanted a pretty face hanging off of his lips and arm. Don't lie to yourself, Scorpius," Avery pursed her lips together, "I sometimes pity you." She knew Scorpius hadn't bothered to learn much about her family, and of course there were secrets, like any other family. The Malfoys, well, they were the center of the social circle, and everyone knew of their secrets. It was simply because they could never seem to keep quiet about anything.

"You don't know anything about my mother, Clough! Just SHUT UP. SHUT UP!" Scorpius had lost every bit of his composure, and Avery couldn't help but gain the same smug superiority that Scorpius had recently emitted. But when she looked at him, the ropes still binding her arms, the blatant fact that he was no longer able to concentrate and could not perform a shred of magic, her face fell. Why was she hurting him?

She felt her cheek tingle and recalled falling face first onto the concrete floor many times before. She growled.

"It's a shame our families get along, but as long as I continue seeing your cousin at social events, I'll survive," Avery wondered if she had said this out of humor, or an attempt to get rid of this frightening and unbecoming side of Scorpius in her sight.

"Landolph seems to have quite the way with foolish girls that giggle at everything he says, Clough. Even I thought better of you than that."

She knew it wasn't a compliment, but wasn't sure if it was as snide as he was trying to make it. "Aw, you think of me, Malfoy?"

Obviously taken aback, his grey eyes darted to the side for a split second before they met hers again. "You always have some snide remark that comes in handy, don't you?"

"Most definitely," Avery nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, well it's that mouth of yours that is going to get you in trouble, Clough. It seems that you never know when to shut it."

"Landolph has never had a problem with my mouth," she murmured, thoughtfully.

Scorpius blinked and his lips pursed. "Yes, well it seems that Landolph thinks the same thing about a number of girls."

"I do believe that you're insinuating that your cousin is a bit of a whore, Malfoy. What a compliment. I suppose that it runs in the family."

"Excuse me for being dense, Clough, but what in blazes are you talking about?"

"Well, I don't suppose it occurred to you that your gold digging mother is a whore, no? Of course, she's more of the upper crust sort of whore. So I suppose that we would consider her more of a, how do you say, harlot?" The ropes tightened around her, but Avery kept her facial features the same.

"How on Earth did we get on this topic, Clough?"

"I do recall you being an arse and me putting you in your place, Malfoy," she iterated his name very clearly. "After all, you seem to think that I'm some sort of punching bag for you. I merely punch back."

"I don't recall taking any swipes.

"Well, by definition I wouldn't call them swipes. I think 'beatings' would be a more appropriate word," Avery looked away from Scorpius and rolled her eyes.

"And what was that throwing me towards the ceiling business? What was that about, Clough?" Scorpius spoke rather quickly.

"Ah, you Malfoys, always quick to defend yourselves when you are caught," Avery couldn't suppress her grin. "As for the 'ceiling business', it was an attempt to stop you from harming me any further. I can't have some piss-poor child showing me up, can I now?"

"I'm older than you, Clough, and leave my family out of your bloody assumptions. If you did not want me teaching you, why did you pick me?" Scorpius snorted, tightening the binds.

"This would be a lot more attractive if Landolph was the one holding the wand," Avery murmured as she stared at the rope. "Oh, did you say something? Why did I choose you? It made my father happy. He seems to think that you are going to be an excellent SA member. As to why I have no idea, but I guess…he sees something in you. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I think he feels that you'll push me. Albeit I am sure he did not mean LITERALLY, Malfoy," Avery scoffed. Scorpius scowled, and Avery looked as if she were about to say something else, but shut her mouth.

"Go on then," Scorpius waved his hand signaling that she could say what she'd like.

"I was just thinking…of how much I would rather talk about Landolph than of your short comings, Scorpius. I've grown quite fond of him and him of I, but as you say, he feels that way about many girls. But when you take it into consideration, I don't believe I've seen him giggle the way he does around me with the others. What do you think of it?" Avery was clearly mocking him, and the fact most found his cousin superior to Scorpius.

"I think that perhaps you are just another foolish girl that my cousin believes will part with more than just a few giggles."

"Please don't confuse me with your mother, Malfoy. I'm not interested in doing something like that simply to snag a man." Avery dared him with her eyes to say something about her morals. "But Landolph is a rather influential young man." The corners of Scorpius' lips twitched as he slowly shook his head.

"It seems that Landolph is the only person in my family that you can stomach, Clough. Why is that?"

"Actually, your grandfather is a very nice man. Always quite the gentleman whenever we cross paths. Your father is rather nice to look at, but I find myself wondering where on Earth you inherited your appearance. Perhaps it was from that mother of yours." Avery let her eyes narrow slightly. "Ah, but it is Landolph who is the icing on the cake."

"You must be blind because I am the spitting image of my father, and as to why you have a fetish for older men, I am beginning to think you have quite a few 'daddy issues' yourself, Clough," Scorpius' spirits evidently rose as he noted Avery's preference.

"Ah, but you do not carry yourself the same way he does. Your father…how should I say it?" Avery sighed longingly and Scorpius expressed his disgust with his facial features.

"I am not…we are not going to talk about…" Scorpius shook his head as he walked over to the desk where he had left the book of spells. "We should get back to work."

"You're blushing, Scorpius? Are you thinking of Landolph? It is not so much his good looks that appeal to me; it is his wit. You know, the very thing you lack, and I do believe that I cannot quite understand why my father cannot see what I can see in Landolph," Avery sighed, looking over at Scorpius thoughtfully. "Can you fathom it?" The ropes binding Avery vanished, and she fell to the floor once again.

"We are not here to talk about your attraction to my cousin. I am sick of hearing of him. There is nothing there, Clough, and I know that you do not think half as fond as him as you are pretending. I've overheard you insult him many times – to his face. Now sit down and shut the fuck up," Scorpius demanded.

Surprised, Avery lifted her wand with ever intent of seeking retribution, but the expression on Malfoy's face had her thinking twice. "Then I am sure that you've also heard me compliment him, aye?"

"Clough, sit down."

"I don't want to sit down, Malfoy. Quite honestly, my back is a little sore from your abuse." He swished his wand and a chair flew up behind her as she collapsed onto its surface unwillingly. "Both your father and Nott expect me to have you further along than this, Clough. How are you going to feel when we next meet them and you are completely behind due to your foolishness."

Avery placed her hands in her lap instead of leaping forward and throttling him. "I'm not the one that continues to interrupt the lesson."

"So I am the one that causes the problems?" He seemed flabbergasted.

"Well, I'm not the one that tied you up."

"Only so that you would stand still and shut the bloody hell up so that I could get a word in edgewise. Your mouth is constantly in motion, Clough. If only you would dedicate some small part of that wit to your learning, we would actually get somewhere."

"If you weren't such a wanker, maybe I could actually stand to see your pompous ass."

"If you are attempting to compliment me, you fail miserably." He smirked as he walked forward, fully intending to force the girl to study the next spell on the day's list.

Avery grinned as she leaned back in the chair, resting her elbow on the back of it as she watched Scorpius walk toward the desk. "So you think being compared to some sort of farm animal is a compliment now? Well, you are a pig, which is much more fitting."

"Ah, the insults continue to fly, Clough." Malfoy chuckled as he turned back to her with the book lying upon his open palm. He quickly placed the book in her lap before taking a step back and crossing his arms over his chest. "Either we move onto the next spell, or you spend the rest of the afternoon dangling from your ankle."

"Promises, promises. Incendio," Avery was silent for a second, "We can't possibly practice it inside."

Scorpius frowned, "Let me see that." He snatched the book from her and ran his finger across the page. "Starts a fire," Scorpius summarized the description and threw his head back and groaned. Avery found this humorous and couldn't help but laugh. "You think this is funny? You think being seen in public with you is funny?" Avery just continued to laugh.

"How is building your own reputation amusing? Although I do believe people might find my presence around you as a joke," Avery smiled; it was yet another attempt to deviate the conversation to something better than a bunch of boring spells.

"Get your coat," Scorpius announced as he shut the book and threw it on the floor. "We'll find some place on the edge of the Forbidden Forest." Avery rolled her eyes in response and pushed Scorpius out of her way as she walked towards the door.

"I'm done for the day," Avery snorted before gathering her belongings.

* * *

**A/N:** So, what did you think of the first chapter? Please, be kind and leave your thoughts in the form of a thoughtful review.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: _**Characters related to the _Harry Potter_ series belong specifically to J.K. Rowling. It is not our intention to plagiarize or slander her work in any given way. A number of the characters, most that you will recognize immediately, belong solely to her. However, there are a great number of Original Characters in this story that will remain our property until our dying day. This story, its plot and its whimsical characters, are the property of Sammy and Tammy, LifeBringsMeOnlyTears and Pretending.To.Be.Civil, respectfully.

**_Rumor Has It:_** The lives of three young witches converges in this tale of glory, deceit, romance, and tragedy. This coming of age tale depicts the Next Generation of witches and wizards descended from those introduced throughout the Harry Potter series. The year is 2024 and while peace and prosperity has reigned over the wizarding world since the fall of the Dark Lord Voldemort. But, a new threat emerges and brings with it a sense of irrevocable segregration between those in favor of change and those in opposition. Three young witches are thrust in the midst of the rising battle; one as a warrior, one as a medic, and one as a maiden of peace. What will become of these three young witches that know each other only as close friends once the rumors reflect the horrible truth?

**** **A/N:** The few of you that decided to be kind and review expressed your concerns over there being far too many original characters. If you were familiar with HP-DH, you would realize that a majority of the characters that you have already been introduced to are _canon_ characters. For the record, Avery, Rahne, Mackenzie, and roughly a handful of others (thus far) are original characters. Simply put, if you cannot recognize the difference between an original character and a canon character, then perhaps you should not bother reading this fantastic tale.

* * *

**_-Rumor Has It-_**

**CHAPTER TWO**

Shoes scuffing the old and worn floor in front of the entrance to the Great Hall, Mackenzie shuffled her feet to and fro, hoping with each passing moment that her friends would appear. Seventh year students were plagued with the N.E.W.T.s and as a Ravenclaw it seemed that she was even more loaded down than most others. Clutching her bag against her left shoulder, she let her gray eyes search the onslaught of students that poured spastically into the Great Hall. Dinner was well underway, and yet there was still no sign of Avery or Rahne.

"Ah, Ramsey, looking for someone, are we?" The voice, while familiar, did little to put Mackenzie at ease.

Facing the speaker with a forced smile etched upon her face, she lifted her chin and slowly nodded. "Avery, actually. Seen her, Malfoy?"

The Slytherin merely stared down at her with a look of self-righteousness rather evident upon his face. Mackenzie, a rather studious and often quiet Ravenclaw, barely registered on Scorpius Malfoy's radar. "It seems that we're both looking for her," he replied tartly, his gray eyes boring into her own.

Fighting the urge to offer him a cheeky grin, she merely shuffled her bag again and cursed herself for bringing it down to dinner in the first place. _We were all supposed to meet for dinner_, she thought with a sad smile. "Well, I suppose I'll be going then," she muttered, more for her own benefit than for his.

Yet, as she turned on her heel to head into the Great Hall, she felt his fingers clenching through her robes at her shoulder, forcing her to come to an immediate stop. Offering him a confused glance over her shoulder, Mackenzie privately wondered whether or not the stricken look in his eyes was due to the fact that he'd just touched her, a Ravenclaw, or simply because he'd done it in the first place.

"If you see Clough, let her know that I'm looking for her, Ramsey." With a curt nod, Malfoy released his hold on her shoulder and strutted off down the hall, his Slytherin robes billowing out behind him from the force of his pace. She watched after him for a moment before letting out a sigh and walking briskly into the Great Hall.

All four of the tables seemed to be filled with students, and dinner was well underway. It seemed that quite a few students had migrated away from their House tables in order to sit with a friend, a sibling, or even a significant other. While it was not an unfamiliar sight, it slightly miffed Mackenzie to a point of frustration. It seemed that none of her Housemates were present, at least not at the Ravenclaw table. Annoyed that her evening had fallen through, Mackenzie quickly swept over to her House's table and sat down between a seventh year and a fifth year. Neither acknowledged her as she began to load her plate down with food, but she didn't mind.

"Oy, pass the pumpkin juice," she muttered to the seventh year beside her before taking a bite of her own dinner.

--

"You really thought that you were something yesterday, didn't you, Paine?" Obviously boasting, Nimbus Wood grinned down at Rahne as she did her best to balance his bag and her own, along with the basketful of food that he'd nabbed from the kitchen elves. "Come on, come on, I'm bloody starving."

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Rahne followed along behind her quidditch captain and alongside Fred and Lily, who walked on either side of her. Both had offered to help with her burden a number of times, but she had politely refused and continued to act as if the whole situation did not bother her in the slightest. On the contrary, it rather did.

"I'm really sorry about yesterday, Rahne. Are you sure that your shoulder's going to be okay?" Flustered, Lily glanced over at Rahne and frowned, her brows dipping over her shadowed eyes dramatically. "I really didn't mean to hit you with the bludger, you know."

Grinning easily at her teammate, Rahne merely inclined her head before climbing through the portrait hole, which turned out to be quite a challenge with her arms full. Yet, Nimbus didn't even offer her a hand as he walked deeper into the Common Room, leaving Rahne and the other two to trail slightly behind. "Bollocks, it's alright, Lily. It was just an accident, after all." Rahne attempted to shrug her shoulders offhandedly, but the result was painful and she nearly let out a soft groan. Instead, she ceremoniously dumped the basket on the large table that Nimbus was seated at before dropping his bag at his feet.

"Well, come on then, Paine. Sit down and eat," Nimbus demanded as he grabbed the basket and began to rummage through it, grunting in approval at the treats that the elves had provided for the four of them.

Gritting her teeth to avoid from taking her bag and bashing Nimbus across the face with it, Rahne slowly lowered into a chair next to Fred, dropping her bag on the floor beside her feet. "You know, if you wouldn't have rescheduled practice _and_ kept us too long, we would have been able to enjoy this bountiful dinner in the Great Hall with everyone else." She was proud of herself for keeping her voice at least somewhat calm and level, even as Nimbus cast her an unneeded glare that made her nearly drop her own dinner roll. "Besides, I had plans tonight," she sneered at him as she pried a mouthful of the roll off with her fingers before popping it between her lips.

"The Pitch is taken for the rest of the week and I wanted to make sure that we're in top form for our next quidditch match of the season," he replied, rather curtly, as he pulled four plates out of the basket and passed them around the table. Lily, who sat at his side, quickly pulled out silverware and passed it around, while Fred eagerly poured a gobletful of pumpkin juice for all four of them. "Besides, if we hadn't spent so much time _playing_ instead of practicing yesterday, there wouldn't have been a need for another one so soon."

Sighing, Rahne slowly nibbled on her dinner roll even as Lily served her a rather generous helping of some sort of roast, carrots, and potatoes. "If you had played fair, there wouldn't have been a need for yesterday's practice to drag on for so long anyway." Still not sure how she'd been roped into spending her dinner in the company of none other than Nimbus Wood, Rahne shook her head in disgust. "I should have just gone with Albert and Hugo."

"Yes, I'm sure that the two of them could have kept you entertained throughout your meal," Fred remarked with a slight snort as he dug into his meal with vigor. Mentally, Rahne recalled that Fred always ate as though he would never see another meal, but vaguely wondered how he managed to remain rod-thin. Surely there was some sort of secret to it? "'Sides, the match yesterday was pretty good, aye?"

"Considering that we were tied until _someone_ bashed a bludger into my path, right." Rolling her eyes, Rahne vividly recalled soaring across the Pitch, the quaffle tucked under her right arm and her left fingers coiled tightly around the handle of her broom. The goal in her sights, she'd had every intention of scoring and ending the game just before Wood called it. He'd drifted away from the goals, simply because there weren't enough on either team to really fill it out completely. She'd had a perfectly open shot when she'd caught movement to her right and a bludger nearly knocked her clean off her broom.

Flushing, Lily's head dipped and she focused intently on her meal. Nimbus, meanwhile, eyed Rahne lazily as he stabbed a carrot and popped it into his mouth. "Accidents _do _happen in quidditch, Paine. If you were aware of everything around you, it probably wouldn't have happened."

"Well, if you hadn't mysteriously bumped into Lily, I would have scored and we'd have a real captain." Chin held high, she met his gaze evenly, her brown eyes shadowed by fatigue and a dull pain in her shoulder.

"Pushing your luck a bit far, aren't you?" Nimbus replied curtly, his heavily accented voice thicker than normal to her. Fork poised in hand, he looked ready to reach across the table and dig the object into her arm, but managed to contain himself.

Quickly clearing his throat, Fred nudged Rahne in the side good-naturedly, an attempt to calm her down. "Come on, Rahne, it was just a game. Do y' honestly want all the hassles that go along with being captain? Besides, imagine having to put up with all the shit that Wood does."

Shrugging her shoulders indifferently, Rahne speared a piece of potato and slowly popped it into her mouth. While she slowly chewed, her eyes locked with Nimbus'. The two seemed to clash heads more often than before, as of late, but they'd never been exactly close friends. Still, it bugged her that he could get under her skin with his self-righteous _'My dad's a professional'_ attitude. She half-wondered if he even realized that's what most people thought of his 'coaching' technique.

"You know, Wood, sometimes I wonder if you've got brains up there or if you're packing it all on the seat of your broom," Rahne remarked, rather proudly.

Face flushing in anger, her captain leaned forward in his seat until his face was just inches from hers. Yet, she refused to back away, knowing that it was what he wanted. "Tomorrow night, you and me, Paine. You're going to run laps until you remember that _I'm_ the captain." Nimbus quickly tossed his silverware on top of his plate before gathering it, along with his bag and goblet. Standing at his full height, which easily towered over the other three, even when they were standing, he caused Rahne to stiffen in apprehension. "You have at least something to look forward to."

As Nimbus quickly made his way across the Common Room and up to the Boy's Dormitories, Rahne briefly wondered if she was the only one that was able to rile him up just so. "I think that he enjoys abusing his authority," she muttered under her breath so that only Fred and Lily could hear. But neither commented as they all continued to eat their meals quietly, until at last her friends excused themselves, leaving her alone at the large table, staring at her potatoes.

Sighing, Rahne slowly rolled her shoulder in an attempt to loosen the muscles that were wound tightly around it, but it seemed to do no good. Vaguely, she wondered if Mackenzie and Avery were pissed that she'd never showed up, but eventually decided that they'd understand.

After all, what are friends for?

--

Gray eyes searched the empty corridor for any sign of movement for a full minute before the hidden figure appeared from behind an old knight calmly. Brushing her slacks to rid them of any unseen dust, Avery Clough quickly glanced over her shoulder at the darkened corridor before continuing on her way, her shoes barely making even the slightest hint of sound on the old floor. Her destination was the kitchens, as she'd completely forgotten about dinner. While her stomach wasn't exactly demanding some sort of food, she knew that if she didn't have some sort of food that she'd be a wreck in the morning.

"Avery?" Her name was whispered ever so slightly, so softly that for a moment she merely stood in her tracks, she gripped her already brandished wand a bit tighter.

But a sigh of relief swept through her system as she found herself facing none other than Dijon Zambini, a fellow Slytherin with smooth chocolate skin and a dazzling smile. Grinning stupidly, she cocked her head to the side and brushed a strand of her short hair back behind her ear as she eyed him lazily. "'Ello, Dijon. Fancy meeting you here."

Dijon merely grinned in return and returned his wand, which he had apparently held at the ready when she'd approached, to the folds of his robes. "Toby decided that ditching me in the middle of a meeting to snog with Elaine Wright in the broom closet was wise." As he smirked, Avery could only imagine how easy it had been for the boy to slip out unseen and unnoticed by his mentor. "I waited a lot longer than usual, mind you," he informed her as they strolled leisurely down the corridor, side by side.

"Bet you're in for it when he finds you," Avery remarked casually as her wand disappeared from sight. "I slept through dinner. Again."

Dark brows lifted in surprise, he turned his attention toward her and appeared befuddled. "You're telling me that Malfoy actually let you have a night off?"

"I didn't exactly say that, now did I, Zabini?" Offering him a wicked wink, Avery slowly came to a stop in front of the portrait that led to the kitchens. Not even bothering to ask if her companion was interested in sneaking inside, she quickly reached up and tickled the pear. Noiselessly, the portrait swung open, revealing a small corridor that led directly to the kitchens. Avery could already hear the familiar sound of dozens of house elves busy at work, probably cleaning up from dinner. "Coming?" she grinned at Dijon before climbing through and heading deeper into the kitchen itself.

A small elf, one that she could only assume was female, ducked out of her way the moment that Avery closed in on the actual space that served as Hogwarts' kitchen. It was a grand place, large enough to feed an army. Which it did, on a regular basis.

"Do you do this often?" Dijon questioned from behind as he stopped near a large table filled with bowls of fruit, rolls, tarts, and sweets of all kinds. "Bloody hell, they've got a little of everything in here, don't they?" he muttered in surprise as a house elf quickly pulled out a chair and insisted that he sit.

While half a dozen elves milled about, quickly gathering a decent meal for the two Slytherins, Avery sat at the table, her eyes slightly glazed over in thought. Her day had been rather dull, plagued only by a rather interesting encounter with one Scorpius Malfoy. "Yeah, food's good," she managed to reply as she rested her chin upon her palm and watched as he accepted a large plateful of food from a small house elf. "How long do you think it will take for McCormack to figure out that you're missing?"

"Reckon he already did," Dijon replied as he shoved half a tart in his mouth at once. While he chewed, Avery picked up a green apple and took a hesitant bite. Its flavor was a bit bitter, somewhat sour, and exactly what her taste buds required. Licking the juice from her fingers, she glanced back at the way they'd come. "Even Elaine can only entertain him for so long, you know."

Snorting in response, Avery shook her head and continued to nibble on her apple while her companion made quick work of the large plateful of food that the elves had set out before him. Momentarily, she found herself wondering if he always ate like such a pig, but decided not to ask when his dark brown eyes met hers from across the table. "What?" her eyes darted to the side for a moment before she dropped the apple core into the outstretched hand of an elf, who quickly bustled away to dispose of the trash. Gingerly wiping her hands on a cloth napkin, Avery found herself under Dijon's unwavering scrutiny. "Do I have something on my face?" she asked, somewhat playfully.

"Aren't you worried about what Malfoy's going to do when he finds you down here?" The question, while innocent and calm, had a sense of mock annoyance behind it. Perhaps Zabini did not understand the relationship that Avery and her mentor had? "Toby said that Malfoy's even worse to you than he is to me. Which is quite a feat, aye?"

Dark brown brows lifted in consideration, Avery slowly smiled at the boy across from her. "What's Malfoy going to do? Demand that I not be late for practice? Bloody hell, Dijon, grow a set, would you?" she teased, knowing that he wouldn't be defensive of her comment.

After all, the two had known one another for years. Dijon's parents were members of one of the most prestigious wizarding families in all of London. They'd even spent a number of holidays together as children, getting into quite a bit of trouble when enough adults were not supervising them. So there was an unstated companionable relationship between the two that did not require words or labels. They were good mates, and that counted for more than a dozen galleons.

"Actually, I do believe that Malfoy is going to ask that you join him for an impromptu session, Clough," a cold and unfriendly voice greeted her ears from behind. Stiffening in her seat, Avery slowly turned and was met with the sight of one Scorpius Malfoy standing next to a rather annoyed looking Toby McCormack. "If you're not careful, you'll get fat, Clough."

Snorting, Avery merely shook her head and met Malfoy's gaze evenly. "Are you so hard up for derogatory comments that you will sink low enough to insult my lovely waistline? Well, I must admit that it doesn't bother me in the slightest. I know I have a lovely figure." Smirking, she rested her hand on the back of her chair and lazily let her gaze shift from Malfoy to McCormack and then back again. "What a coincidence, meeting you two here."

A shadow of a smile crossed Toby's lips as he lifted his dark black brows in Avery's direction. His dark blue eyes roamed over her face for a moment, dipping lower, and then returned. "Fancy catching you two here, _together_."

"Yes, because we obviously sneak off whenever the two of you are absent in order to snog in the nearest empty classroom," Avery replied, snipping at the burly seventh year quidditch player.

Toby McCormack, heir of one of the wealthiest pureblood families in London, towered over nearly everyone in their House at inches over six feet. His face was rather square, with a dimple in his chin that made it look rather like he had a bum for a chin at times. He had a long, broad nose that sat over thick, long lips. His hair, a dark black, was always a bit too shaggy and unkempt. It was obviously an attempt to make him look less unapproachable, as he appeared able to break a person in half without much of an effort. A chaser for the Slytherin team, he was a force to be reckoned with.

"Yours is a cheeky little git, eh, Malfoy?" Toby commented wryly as he offered Avery a sly wink, not realizing that Scorpius saw and rolled his eyes. "Maybe we should trade for awhile just so they realize that we're not completely unfair."

"Like working with Malfoy is going to be anymore fair for me," Dijon hissed, rather loudly. The sound of his chair scraping across the floor caused Avery to wince. A moment later, Dijon was standing beside her, his eyes on hers. She lifted her head slightly to meet his gaze, her lips thinned in frustration. "If you weren't so busy trying to get in Elaine's pants-"

"What Elaine and I do is none of your business, maggot," Toby interrupted, his eyes narrowing in warning at his trainee.

Quickly clearing his throat, Scorpius drew Avery's eyes to his. "Enough with the dramatics. Come, Avery, there's only an hour before we'll have to call it a night anyway."

"Don't worry, Dijon, I'll be fine." Avery, dropping her voice low enough so that only he could hear, attempted to reassure her friend. Standing, she kept her head high and her back straight as she crossed the distance between herself and Malfoy, quickly coming within a foot of him and stopping. "Coming, Malfoy?" she murmured, almost dreamily.

Without looking back, she shoved her way between Toby and Scorpius and exited the kitchens in the same way that she'd entered: through the portrait hole. Soon, she could hear Scorpius' brisk walk behind her, but she did not slow her pace. It was not until they were well out of sight of the kitchens that she felt fingers wrap around her arm and clench tightly.

"If you ever make a fool out of me again, especially in front of _McCormack_," Scorpius spat the boy's name as he guided her down the corridors hurriedly, obviously intent on making it to their destination, "I ensure you that it will cause me to lift my wand against you, Clough."

Rolling her eyes, Avery simply allowed Scorpius to drag her along. There was no sense in fighting against him, considering that physically he was larger than her. Besides, she knew that she would get back at him. Later.

--

Crossing her legs underneath her, Mackenzie sat in a large chair in the Ravenclaw Common Room, her gaze focused on a bright blue and silver rug decorating the floor before the fireplace. It was still rather warm out, even in the evenings. Which is why there was no fire blazing that evening. The hour was rather late, and the seventh year was the only student in the Common Room.

A large photo album lay unopened in the girl's lap, seemingly forgotten. Inside lay dozens of pictures of her life before her father died. Of the few treasures that she always brought from home, the photo album seemed to be the most precious. Yet, as nimble fingers danced over the delicate cover, she could not help but draw in a sharp breath.

The first page caused her to smile as she stared down at the smiling faces of her parents when they were both younger, closer to her age. They were sitting in the grass, leaning against an old tree that stood near a small pond at Mackenzie's grandparent's. They were laughing, staring at her with love in their eyes.

She often found herself forgetting the way that her parents had held her close when she was a child. Sometimes, she would lay awake at night in her bed, staring up the canopy, and try to picture what her life would have been like at that exact moment had her father still been alive. Would her mother have been more motherly? Would they have supported Mackenzie's future plans to teach one day? Or, were things better off without her father in their life?

"No, I can never believe that," she whispered to herself as she quickly shut the album and clutched it to her chest.

It had been a long and lonely evening, filled only with the reminder that she didn't really have any close mates in her House anymore. Many of them had left the year before and most of the students in her year considered Mackenzie a bit of an outsider. After all, how many other Ravenclaws claimed both a Slytherin and a Gryffindor as their best mates.

Reluctantly, Mackenzie rose from her seat and padded quietly to the Girls Dormitories. The other girls in her rooms were all sleeping already, so she quickly tucked her photo album into her trunk before climbing under the duvet and rolling onto her side. There was not a sound to be heard save for her own heart pounding, echoing in her ears.

Clenching her eyes tightly, she willed herself to sleep, hoping that the next day would be calm and uneventful.

The last thought she had before she slipped into unconsciousness regarded what Trenton had said to her the day before.

"Bloody brilliant, it would be," she murmured before pressing her face into her pillow.

And then, Hogwarts slept.

--

Sunlight filtered in Hogwarts paned-glass windows as Rahne clutched the hand of one of her best mates, tugging him toward the Great Hall with a wicked gleam in her eye. Her conspirator, none other than one Fred Weasley, walked at her side calmly, carrying a small corked bottle that was hidden inside his rather large palm.

"Are you sure that this is going to work?" she whispered to him from the corner of her mouth, her brown eyes continuously searching for any sign of one person that they hoped to run into.

"Are you kidding me?" Fred, a perplexed expression etched on his face, stopped in his tracks and gripped her arm tightly. "Do you honestly think that I could foul up something as simple as this? Granted, it isn't the best prank I've had a hand in, but it's simple and sometimes simplicity is the key, my dear lowly assistant."

The two, much to their Housemates disgust, were rather well known for their pranks. After all, as the son of George Weasley, proprietor of _Weasley Wizarding Wheezes_, Fred had been borne and bred for such an entrepreneurial life. In fact, he reveled in coming up with pranks that his father would have been proud of. Over all, he'd yet to best the previous generation of Weasleys. After all, his father had his brother to give him a helping hand. Granted, it wasn't uncommon to see Fred cajoling his cousin Hugo into assisting him in a venture every now and then.

Rolling her eyes, Rahne lifted a hand and brushed back her recently brushed brown hair and jerked her arm out of his grasp. "One of these days I'm going to show you that I'm not just some lowly assistant. Do you forget that _I'm_ the one that came up with that frog hoax last year, Fred?" she smirked, knowing that it was one of the few times that she had honestly managed to go over her friend's head.

"Hogwash," Fred muttered under his breath as he wiped the hand that had previously been gripping her arm off on his robes, as though he feared he would contract some sort of disease from the contact. "If I recall correctly, I was the one left mopping up that mess because you couldn't remember the counter curse."

"Yeah, well it was still interesting to see frogs hopping around everywhere. Granted, it probably wasn't a good idea to charm that sink in the girls' bathrooms." The year before, Rahne had discovered an interesting text in the library that spoke of a temporary transfiguration spell that brought out _'the animal in any inanimate object'_. Unfortunately, she did not consider the fact that water was not inanimate, and that the spell would cause frogs to literally shoot out of the tap every time a girl attempted to wash her hands. "Remember the look on Longbottom's face?" she grinned. "Priceless."

Fred merely snorted as the two stopped just inside of the Great Hall, their eyes sweeping over the empty room to rest upon a lone figure seated at the High Table. Perusing his copy of _The Daily Prophet_, Professor Ackart barely glanced up as the two scuffled their feet loudly, causing a bit of a ruckus. But when he did notice them, his eyes widened in surprise. "Weasley? Paine? The two of you are up awful early, are you not?"

"To be honest, sir, we were hoping that you could give us a bit of a hand?" Rahne's lips thinned as she considered the man that sat alone in the Great Hall. "I, er, well sort of played a bit of a trick on our mate."

The man's sigh echoed through the empty room as he rose from his seat and folded up his paper neatly, tucked it under his arm, and walked toward them confidently. His robes, unlike the other teachers, greatly resembled those of his students in the Ravenclaw House. After all, Professor Ackart was the new head of House, and apparently preferred his patriotism to the dress robes his peers often wore. "I'll figure out your detention later, Paine." His eyes shifted between Rahne and Fred for a few long moments as his brows dipped over his dark eyes. By that time, he was standing before them, his back rim-rod straight. "What have you done now?"

Scuffling his feet a bit, Fred quickly drew Ackart's attention to himself. "Well, sir, we jinxed the Broom closet and before we could figure out how to get the door back open we heard you coming and ran." Rahne glanced over at her partner in crime and nearly lifted a brow in surprise.

_I knew that he was good, but bloody hell this boy is brilliant_, she thought to herself. Then, turning her attention back to the man before them, she nodded her head slowly, a guilty sigh escaping her thinned lips. "We wouldn't even worry about it, sir, but she's not that great with small spaces," Rahne hurriedly added as Ackart continued to give them a scrutinizing glance every now and then. "Mackenzie-"

"Mackenzie?" he interrupted, genuine concern flashing in his dark eyes. "You mean to tell me that you've locked Mackenzie Ramsey in that broom closet, Miss Paine?"

Brushing past them with an air of authority, the man quickly brandished his wand as he tried the handle of the door. Rahne and Fred, meanwhile, shared a quick glance before rushing up behind the man and simply watched him. After realizing the he could not merely force the handle open, Ackart lifted his wand and muttered a number of incantations under his breath, one at a time. Fred, meanwhile, slipped the small corked bottle to Rahne, who quickly palmed it in her left hand even as she brandished her wand in her right.

"Ramsey, are you in there?" Ackart shouted as the door flew open suddenly, dust billowing out in thick clouds. Coughing, the man waved his hands in the air in an attempt to clear the air as well as he could. "Oh, bloody hell." He continued to cough, muttering a few choice words that had Fred grinning instantly. "I thought that you said she was in here?" he asked, as he turned on his heel, his face splotchy and his eyes watery.

"Sir, you look dreadful!" Rahne proclaimed as she offered him a goblet. "Here, sir, take this," she offered, her face contorted in worry.

Thankful, Ackhart quickly took the goblet from her hand and lifted it to his lips, draining it of its cool contents in just two long gulps. The moment that the rim of the goblet left his lips, the goblet in his hands reverted to its previous state, a small bottle. Perplexed, his brows dipped in utter confusion before his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell backwards, thumping against the floor of the Broom closet loudly.

For a full minute, Rahne and Fred barely dared to breathe as they stared down at Ackart's shoes, half in fear and half amused.

"Bloody hell, Rahne. It actually worked," Fred muttered, partly in awe. Crouching, he snatched the empty bottle from his professor's clenched fingers before glancing up at Rahne. "I know that you wanted t' miss Charms, but _this _is magnificent."

Bowing slightly, Rahne took the compliment graciously before letting out a short sigh. "I never considered him not landing in the closet. Damn, how are we going to get him in there?" she hissed. Any moment, she knew, the first of the professors and possibly even a student or two would wander into the Great Hall, anticipating an early breakfast. If someone were to walk in and find them in such a compromising position...

"Where's your sense of adventure? Come on, he can't weigh more than Humphrey. Remember that time we gave him the Nosebleed Nougat and he promptly passed out? We had to lug him all the way from your broom shed to the house. Bloody long walk, mind you." Quickly, Fred grabbed the man's ankles and motioned for Rahne to grab his wrists. "Come on then."

Sucking in a quick breath, Rahne carefully made her way inside of the closet, just far enough so that she could easily grab Ackart's wrists. "Right then. On the count of three?" Instead of actually counting, Fred merely jerked the man's ankles upwards, causing Rahne to immediately follow suit. The result was a comical display of two young witches and wizards severely underestimating their strength and nearly tumbling into the closet along with their fast asleep professor.

Dazed, Fred managed to grab Rahne's arm and drag her out of the closet before the rising dust had a chance to affect her. "A'right, Paine?" he asked as he brushed off the arms of his robes, annoyed at the dust and dirt that had settled there.

"Good call on the dust bomb. Bet your dad never thought those would be popular." Rahne grinned as she lifted a hand and brushed it over her dusted nose. "That sleeping draught should keep him out for at least ten hours, maybe twelve if we're lucky."

"So, no Charms today?" Fred smirked, even as the sound of approaching people met their ears.

Slapping her hands together to get rid of the dust, Rahne hurriedly nodded her head. "No Charms today, mate."

With a grin, the two lifted a hand and quickly slammed the door of the Broom closet shut together, the sound reverberating through the Great Hall as Professors Longbottom and McGonagall entered the Great Hall. "Miss Paine, Mr. Weasley? Is there a problem?" McGonagall inquired.

"No, Headmistress," they replied in unison, each biting the inside of their cheek to keep from grinning cheekily at Headmistress McGonagall.

Before either Professor could question why the Gryffindors were so early to breakfast, the two slipped out of the Great Hall arm in arm, grinning like madmen.

* * *

**A/N: **Feel free to leave us a review with your thoughts on the chapter. We're simply building up the characters... The foundation of the plot will be laid very soon!


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